Searchable abstracts of presentations at key conferences in endocrinology
Endocrine Abstracts (2007) 14 P54

ECE2007 Poster Presentations (1) (659 abstracts)

24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and aortic dimensions in women with Turner syndrome

Britta Hjerrild 1 , Keld Sorensen 2 , Erik Morre Pedersen 3 , Erik Lundorf 3 , Arne Horlyck 4 , Jens Sandahl Christiansen 1 & Claus Hojbjerg Gravholt 1


1Medical Department M (Endocrinology and Diabetes) and Medical Research Laboratories, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 2Department of Cardiology, Skejby Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 3The MR Centre, Skejby Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; 4Department of Radiology, Skejby Hospital, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.


Study objective: To study blood pressure (BP) levels and aortic dimensions in women with Turner syndrome (TS).

Materials and methods: 102 women with TS (mean age 37.7 years; 18–62 years). 24 hour ambulatory BP measurement and echocardiography was performed on participants.

Results: Mean BP systolic (sys) and diastolic (dia) values were (±SD): sysBPday 128.0±15.3; diaBPday 81.6±11.8; sysBPnight 110.4±14.0 and diaBPnight 68.1±11.5. Heart rate (HR): 77.5±9.7.

Hypertension was found in a large proportion of the women: sysBPday.

36/97 (37%); diaBPday 44/97 (45%); sysBPnight 27/96 (28%) and diaBPnight 49/96 (51%). 34/97 (35%) did not have elevated BP levels, 22/97 (23%) had elevated levels in all 4 measures. 19 women already received antihypertensive treatment, and sys BP was significantly higher in this group. Aortic diameters (cm):

MeanSD% above cutoff
Aortic Annulus1.830.180
Sinus2.800.4115
Sinotubular level2.630.4211
Brachial trunk2.080.400

17 individuals had aortic diameters above expected levels. A positive correlation was found between systolic BP (r=0.36; P=0.001) and age, but not weight or BMI. HR correlated negatively to VO2max (r=0.22; P=0.038). We found no correlation between BP and aortic diameters or age and aortic diameters. There was however a significant increase in aortic diameters in TS with karyotype 45,X compared to others (P<0.02) and in TS with bicuspid aortic valves (P<0.02).

Conclusion: Hypertension is common in TS, affecting more than 50% of the study group, and subjects on antihypertensive treatment were insufficiently treated. Aortic dimensions are larger in TS (17%), especially with the karyotype 45, X. In this study we found no correlation between BP and aortic dimensions.

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